Pre-molded monolithic design ready for installation niche

ABSTRACT

A premolded plastic, monolithic design, decorative, and inexpensive niche packaged with all tools and supplies required for installation into a home or office by any professional or do-it-yourselfer with very little if any construction background. Said niche does not require affixing to wall studs. Once installed, the niche is designed to display urns, vases, sculptures, trophies, collectables, and other works of art.

PRIORITY

[0001] This application claims priority to, and incorporates byreference in its entirety, the United States Provisional PatentApplication entitled Pre-molded Niches Ready for Installation Niches,having a serial No. 60/367,396, filed Mar. 26, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to pre-molded niches forinstallation into existing walls and more specifically it relates topre-molded niches ready for installation installed by any professionalconstructor, but especially the do-it-yourselfer who has little if anyhome improvement or construction background. All materials needed toinstall said niche are provided in a nice, neat package that affordsthose not skilled in the art of home improvement projects the ability toinstall a decorative niche in as little as five to seven minutes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Niches have existed as far back as Roman times. Modern era nichesfor residential or commercial use have been designed primarily forutility use, such as to provide open storage for pantry items (U.S. Pat.No. 4,681,380), concealed storage for bathroom appliances (U.S. Pat. No.5,577,819), or in fact a concealed cabinet with a hinged access door tostore personal valuables in a way to fool would-be thieves (U.S. Pat.No. 5,368,378). In these examples, the niches were designed for afunctional purpose, with aesthetics not being the primary designconsideration. Furthermore, these niches were secured into a typicalwall with some method of bolting into the wall or studs of the wall.

[0004] The niches were not of a simple, one-piece construction for easeof installation. Even a niche design that is of a one-piece design stillrequires some means of securing the niche into a wall by bolting theniche to the studs of the wall (U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,446). Furthermore,niches traditionally have been made of plaster, making the niche ratherdifficult to transport to a home or office without great risk ofbreakage, not to mention the difficulty in working with a heavy massobject.

[0005] Additionally, niches have been designed to hold specific items ina waterproof, monolithic design (U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,758), however thisstyle of niche is not practical for the home do-it-yourselfer to installthe niche into a wall in as little as five to seven minutes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is therefore a feature and advantage of the present inventionto provide a reduction of the mass of a niche that can be mass producedat low cost using plastics that are commonly available, formed intodistinctive decorative designs by a pressure molding process.

[0007] Additionally, it is a feature and advantage of the presentinvention to reduce the complexity of a niche used for displaying items,yet provide for styling variations to meet many customer tastes. Thestyling variations can include niches that are up to 24 inches in width.

[0008] It is another feature and advantage of the present invention toprovide a convenient and secure means for installing a decorative nichein a residential or commercial interior wall of a building. Furthermore,this secure method of installation does not require the niche beattached to inner surfaces of wall studs.

[0009] It is another feature and advantage of the present invention toprovide a simplified method for installing a decorative niche in aresidential or commercial interior wall of a building, such that anuntrained installer can complete the installation in a short period oftime.

[0010] It is another feature and advantage of the present invention topackage all requisite materials for niche installation into a typicalresidential or commercial wall, such that an untrained installer cancomplete the installation of this invention in a short period of time.

[0011] Also, another feature and advantage of the present invention isthe packaging materials for the invention are designed to minimize wasteby using all elements of the packaging, and utilize recyclable materialsin the composition of the packaging to minimize impact on theenvironment.

[0012] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described below andwhich will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

[0013] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction nor to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0014] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that theconception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilizedas a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systemsfor carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It isimportant, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including suchequivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating several elements of apreferred embodiment of a pre-molded, monolithic design niche.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a side view illustration of a pre-molded, monolithicdesign niche installed into a wall.

[0017]FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b are a representation of preferred andalternative embodiments of a complete installation package for apre-molded, monolithic design niche.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a summary flow chart showing the steps of a preferredmethod of installation of a pre-molded, monolithic design niche.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The preferred embodiments of the present invention provide amonolithic design niche. Also provided in preferred embodiments are aconvenient and secure method and system for installing a premolded nicheinto a home or office wall.

[0020] A preferred embodiment of the present inventive apparatus isillustrated in FIG. 1. The niche is a monolithic design, beingconstructed of a single piece of plastic. The preferred embodiment is aplastic composition of polystyrene, thoughacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, commonly referred to as “ABS”, plasticis suitable as an alternative composition. Polystyrene has the desiredproperty of being lightweight, important for reducing the cost ofshipping through distribution channels, and reduced effort to installthe single-piece niche into a wall. Other superior properties ofpolystyrene include being durable, very malleable despite potentiallyhaving several styling bends and subforms, and also being a lower costper unit.

[0021] High temperature tolerance is not required of a niche, as it isexcepted to be in a room temperature environment. However, in analternative embodiment, special compositions of plastics can be employedto cover greater temperature ranges, should the need arise, than whatwould typically be experienced in a home or office.

[0022] Other plastic compositions are acceptable, particularly if avariety of manufacturing techniques are employed to construct themonolithic design of the niche. For instance, for smaller volumeproduction numbers, a simple vacuum forming method of creating the nichewith polystyrene sheets {fraction (3/16)}^(th) inch thick conformed to amold is preferred. For more intricate designs of niche, a pressureforming method can be employed to assure that all bends and creases arecrisply made also using {fraction (3/16)}^(th) inch polystyrene sheets.Molds for either the vacuum or pressure methods of manufacturing theniche are relatively inexpensive when the cost of the mold is spreadover a production run of several hundred units. Those skilled in the artof vacuum or pressure molding can appreciate the advantages of differentcompositions of materials for the molds, including wood, aluminum,steel, and alloys of different metals. Choices among these moldcompositions are made depending upon the number of niches to be made perproduction run.

[0023] For large number production runs, such as several thousandniches, it is more economically feasible to employ an injection moldprocess to construct the niche, as injection molds are more durable fora larger number of units produced. Since there are more units producedfor the fixed cost of the mold, the higher cost of producing aninjection mold can be justified by being spread over more unitsproduced, coupled with the fact that the injection mold will last, insome cases, considerably longer than a mold used in vacuum or pressuremolding methods. Furthermore, a switch to ABS plastic with itsadvantages, as known by those skilled in the art, can be made whenemploying an injection molding technique.

[0024]FIG. 1 shows three major elements that comprise the niche: anexterior lip 10; an interior recessed display area 20; a mantle 30. Eachof these elements are discussed in greater detail below.

[0025] The exterior lip 10 is part of the monolithic design of theniche. Its primary purpose is to provide a surface of the niche thatmakes direct contact with the wall into which the niche is beinginstalled. It is to this lip that an adhesive is applied to affix theniche to the wall surface into which the niche is being installed. Thisis in stark contrast to niches that are secured to the studs in the wallthrough the interior side portion of the display area 20. The advantagewith an adhesive affixing method is that wall studs can be somethingother than exactly 24 inches on center. Furthermore, the preferredembodiment of niche can be manufactured to be somewhat to significantlynarrower than 24 inches wide, as wall studs are not relied upon tosecure the niche into the wall. For instance, a niche made to conform toload-bearing wall specifications could be inserted into a non-loadbearing wall, despite the fact that such a niche would be approximatelyeight inches narrower than the wall studs.

[0026] If a stud width is wider than building code, and suchimperfections can occur even with quality builders, niches that requireaffixing to the wall studs would potentially require shims placedbetween the stud and the inside display area surface of the niche,assuming that a preformed niche is roughly 24 inches in width. The shimswould allow the niche to be securely installed without potentiallywiggling in place, and prevent cracking the inside display area surfacedue to excessive torque being applied to the niche surface to force theniche to abut the studs.

[0027] Additionally, it is an advantage to affix the niche with anadhesive rather than bolting or nailing in the interest of simplicity.An installer unskilled in the building trades will more readily be ableto install a niche using adhesives, as opposed to working with drills,shims, and other specialized constructing equipment used to secure theniche to the wall.

[0028] The exterior lip 10 is two to three inches in width out relativeto the edge of the recessed display area 20, and serves the additionalpurpose of covering any imperfections of the hole cut in the wall by theinstaller. Additionally, the lip serves a decorative purpose inproviding additional area of the niche for unique styling.

[0029] An alternative embodiment of the exterior lip 10 design is tohave dimples 12 molded into the backside of the exterior lip 10 thatindicate points of the exterior lip 10 that can optionally be punched ordrilled out to allow a fastening screw to pass through the exterior lip10 into the wall. These dimple points remain unseen to the exteriorvisible surface of the lip 10 if not drilled or punched out. The dimplepoints 12, with decorative drywall screws passed through the exteriorlip 10 into the wall, provide for a very secure installation of theniche into the wall, along with an adhesive as described above, thatassist in holding the niche in place. This alternative embodimentprovides for greater load holding capacity of the niche in order todisplay heavier items. However, care must be taken by the installer ofthe niche not to overtorque the screws, thereby compromising the surfaceof the exterior lip 10.

[0030] The recessed display area 20 of the niche is the portion of theniche that sets into the wall, preferably three to three and one-halfinches depth 26, to allow space for displaying urns, vases, sculptures,trophies, collectables, and other works of art. The visible back surface22 of the display area 20 can optionally be painted with a mural, orhave a picture or some two-dimensional form of art fastened to the backsurface 22 such that the art is the displayed feature of the niche.

[0031] The horizontal dimension of the walls 24 of the recessed displayarea 20 are designed to fit within the post-1978 uniform building codesapplicable to wall stud spacing. This building code specifies anon-center spacing of 16 inches for load-bearing walls, and 24 inches fornon load-bearing walls. Preferably, the niches are designed to fitwithin the specifications for non load-bearing walls, however differentmolds can be manufactured that produce smaller dimension niches that fitinto load-bearing walls. Caution should be taken when choosing aload-bearing wall for installation of a niche, in the interest ofpreserving the structural integrity of the load-bearing wall.

[0032] The mantle 30 of the niche serves multiple purposes. A primarypurpose of the mantle 30 is to provide a shelf for displayed items tosit upon. Also, similarly to one of the functions of the external lip10, the mantle 30 provides opportunity for unique styling consistentwith the styling of the external lip 10. Under the mantle 30 can exist adecorative cornice 32 that sturdies the recessed display area 20, andprovides a better placed center of gravity for an object resting on themantle 30. This improved center of gravity feature provides a greaterelement of stability to the displayed object(s) and lessens thelikelihood of the displayed object(s) from falling out of the niche.Additionally, the cornice provides structural rigidity that reducesflexing of the plastic mantle 30, lessening the possibility of a heavierdisplay item falling forward.

[0033] The amount of protrusion of the mantle 30 extended from the wallsurface is somewhat a matter of design preference, however it isadvisable to not extend the mantle much beyond the same distance as thethree to three and one-half inches depth 26 of the display area 20. Thisis suggested as a matter of convenience and safety, so that the mantleportion 30 of the niche does not become and obstruction for peoplewalking past the niche. For example, a three and one-half inch mantle 30coupled with a three and one-half inch depth 26 of display area 20provides for a seven inch shelf upon which objects can be displayed,providing a reasonable balance between excessive protrusion of themantle 30 into the room, yet providing a significant shelf and cornice32 area that limits the possibility of a displayed object from suddenlytumbling out of the niche.

[0034] While the plastic of the monolithic niche can reasonably handleas much as a 50 pound load from the displayed object(s), depending uponthe overall size of the niche and the thickness and composition of theplastic. However, it is not recommended that the load upon the mantle 30exceed 15 pounds, particularly if the displayed object(s) is/are topheavy. The display object(s) could topple out of the niche, causingdamage to the object(s), or worse, pull the entire niche out of thewall. Heavier objects can be displayed with an alternative embodiment ofthe niche that is secured to a wall with an adhesive applied around thewall side of the exterior lip 10 in conjunction with decorative drywallscrews, as described above.

[0035] The entire niche of FIG. 1 preferably is painted prior toinstallation into the wall, should a complementing or contrasting colorto the wall color be desired. However, alternatively, the niche can bepainted the same color of the wall once installed, if painting isdesired. Preferably, the niche is molded in an off-white, slightly grayhue color similar to that of wall plaster, though many other colors arepossible, thereby obviating painting of the niche. Additionally, theplastic composition of the niche is amenable to painting with either anacrylic or enamel paint that can sustain some flexing during theinstallation of the niche into the wall. For added security againstpaint cracking during installation, it is recommended to prime theplastic surface with a flexible primer.

[0036]FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating a niche that has beeninstalled into a wall in a preferred embodiment of the invention. Theinterior recessed display area 20 of the niche is sized such that thereis some space preserved between the back surface of the niche 22 andinner surface of the drywall behind the niche 210. A display area depth26 greater than three and one-half inches runs the risk of not allowingspace for unanticipated wiring discovered in the area where the niche isdesired to be installed, assuming that the wall stud 200 is a typicalfour inch depth. The exterior lip 10 of the niche provides the means forsecuring the niche to the visible drywall surface 220. Adhesive isapplied to the wall side of the exterior lip 10 during installation suchthat the exterior lip is bound to the visible drywall surface 220,eliminating the hazards that a nailing affixing method may bring. Thesehazards would include diminishing the decorative value of the exteriorlip 10, and possible direct impact from a hammer to the niche or thedrywall surface 220, potentially leaving an undesired mark even to thepoint of requiring repairs.

[0037] The added structural, as well as decorative, value of the cornice32 can be readily seen in FIG. 2. The cornice provides a greaterstructural rigidity than if the mantle 30 were to extend from the nicheby itself without reinforcement. The mantle also provides for adecorative styling opportunity such that the niche can have stylingvariations including French Colonial, Southwest, and Neo-classical.Other styling themes are possible.

[0038] A preferred embodiment of the niche is to have the niche packagedwith all of the tools required for installation, sans paint and paintprimer. Paint is optional, and can be applied either prior to or afterthe installation of the niche into the intended wall. The niche ispreferably molded in an off-white, plaster color, such that it would fitinto any room color scheme without any additional surfacing. A totalpackage of niche and requisite installation tools and supplies creates asystem for installation that improves the likelihood of a successfulinstallation of the niche without any degradations to the niche or thewall into which the niche was installed.

[0039]FIGS. 3a and 3 b are an illustration of one particular style ofniche (Southwest) 300, niche installation tools and supplies 330, 340,342, 346, 350, 360, and package materials 310, 320 that comprise allthat is preferably required to install the premolded niche into a wall.Some alternative embodiment installation tools 335, 344 are also shown.

[0040] A preferred embodiment of a premolded niche is to package it intoa complete system for installation. The advantage of this is that theinstaller does not have to have an inventory of tools and supplies.Another advantage is that the installer can be assured that all suppliesnecessary for the proper installation of the monolithic design niche areincluded with the purchase of the niche. This latter advantage isespecially advantageous for the do-it-yourselfer who is not skilled inconstruction.

[0041] Turning first to FIG. 3a, the external package 310 is preferablyconstructed of corrugated cardboard for its lightweight property yetstrong crush resistance. Furthermore, this material is recyclable,reducing the impact this embodiment has on the environment. Includedwith the packaging is an insert 320, also preferably constructed ofcorrugated material that securely holds the niche 300 in the externalpackage 310. The insert is cut out in the indicated area 325 thatcorresponds in dimensions to the size of the display area 20 of theniche 300. The niche is placed into the cut out area 325 of the insert320 for shipping. Additionally, this insert 320 also serves as atemplate for the location in the wall where cuts with the drywall sawFIG. 3b:350 should be made in the wall to install the niche 300.Furthermore, all of the tools and supplies requisite for a properinstallation are secured to the material of the cutout area 325 of theinsert 320 prior to shipping, such that there are no loose items withinthe external package 310.

[0042] A person installing the niche will unpack from the externalpackage 310 the niche 300 and all of the tools and supplies, andpreferably paint the niche 300 with either an acrylic or enamel paintprior to installation of the niche into the wall. This is assuming thatit is desirable to have a color other than the molded color of the nicheas discussed with FIG. 1. A paint should be chosen that has someflexibility when dried, to allow for flexing of the niche duringinstallation. Preferably, the surface of the niche will be prepared witha flex primer prior to painting, to assure that the paint bonds with theniche 300 surface and enhance the life of the paint. However, a goodquality paint applied directly to the polystyrene, ABS, or othercomposition plastic surface of the niche 300, depending upon whichplastic is used to create the embodiment of niche 300, should sufficefor a quality finish.

[0043] A means for painting the niche prior to installation includesspray painting in addition to brush painting. The insert 320 can be usedas an overspray containment shield, obviating a drop cloth or othermeans for preventing overspray paint from covering unintended objects.

[0044] If the niche 300 is painted prior to installation, the installercan select the general location on the wall where the niche is to beinstalled. The next step of installation is to use a stud locator. Twoalternatives for stud finding are shown in FIG. 3. The preferred methodfor finding studs in the wall is to use a stud finder that works ondetecting varying densities in the wall. This type of stud finder 330works on a principal of changing capacitance as disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 4,099,118.

[0045] Alternatively, a stud finder working on a principal of magnetism335 can be used. This type of stud finder 335 relies on nails driveninto the studs being composed of a ferrous metal. The advantage of thistype of stud finder is its lower cost, but has the disadvantage ofmaking the assumption that only ferrous metal nails were used toattached the drywall to the studs of the candidate wall for niche 300installation. Furthermore, the installer must assume the width of thestud, something that is normally an acceptable risk if standard buildingmaterials were used to construct the wall.

[0046] Assuming that painting was done and is now dried, and the studsin the wall have been located and noted, the insert 320 is now used as atemplate to be placed upon the wall where the niche will be installed.Alternatively, the insert cutout area 325 could also be used as atemplate, however for the purposes of discussion, the insert 320 will bedocumented. The insert/template 320 is held against the wall in thedesired position for installation. Preferably, an air bubble level 340is used to confirm that the insert/template 320 is held level with thehorizon. However, alternatively, placed at the lower edge of theinsert/template 320, a simple protractor with an appropriately attachedplumb line, i.e. a commercially available angle indicator, can indicatetilt relative to the horizon to indicate whether the template is heldlevel to the horizon.

[0047] Turning to FIG. 3b, once the proper position has been establishedfor the insert/template 320, it preferably can be temporarily secured tothe wall with wall mount tape 342, a product that has adhesive appliedto both sides of contact, that adheres the insert/template 320 to thewall without leaving a permanent mark or hole in the wall.Alternatively, simple tacks 344 can be pushed through theinsert/template 320 into the wall, however care must be taken to pushthe tacks through the insert/template 320 close to the edge of the cutout area 325 such that the holes created in the wall by the tacks willbe covered by the exterior lip 10 of the niche when the niche 300 isinstalled. Once the insert/template 320 is secured to the wall, tracethe cut out area 325 of the insert/template 320 with a writinginstrument 346, preferably a pencil, but other instruments that producea legible mark on the wall can be used. The installed should then verifythat a sufficiently legible mark has been traced around the perimeter ofthe cut out area 325 of the insert/template 320 prior to removing theinsert/template 320 from the wall. The tracing will be used as a cuttingguide in the next step of installation of the niche 300.

[0048] Prior to cutting the tracing out of the wall, electrical power tooutlets and switches on both sides of the wall FIG. 2:210, 220, shouldbe turned off. This is best done at the breaker or fuse box thatsupplies power to the room(s) affected by the niche 300 installation.Once the power is turned off, the installer takes the drywall saw 350and cuts out the tracing made with the insert/template 320 cut out area325. The interior of the cut out area of the wall should be inspectedfor obstructions and obstructions resolved prior to installation of theniche 300.

[0049] Placing the niche 300 on its face, meaning the exterior lip 10 isplaced face side down, an adhesive 360 is applied to appropriate areasof the backside of the exterior lip 10. Appropriate areas are those thatmake contact with the wall. Optionally, adhesive can also be applied tothe niche perimeter created by the recessed display area FIG. 1:20 thatmakes contact with the cutout area of the wall, to further make securethe installation of the niche. Care should be taken to lay down a beadof the adhesive 360 onto the backside of the external lip 10, as toomuch adhesive 360 applied will cause excess adhesive 360 to press outfrom under the exterior lip 10 as the niche 300 is pressed into positiononto the wall surface.

[0050] The type of adhesive 360 chosen is one that will not materiallyand adversely affect the composition such that the decorative appearanceof the niche 300 is marred. Acceptable adhesives for adhering the niche300 into a wall include an acrylic caulk, an acrylic caulk with silicon,and a polyseam seal. This adhesive can be applied either by a commonlyavailable caulking gun or directly squeezing of the adhesive from itspackaging if the package is not in a caulking gun form factor.

[0051] Once the adhesive 360 is applied, the niche 300 can be placedinto the hole in the wall prepared by the cutting step mentioned above.The installer should firmly press against the exterior lip 10 area ofthe niche 300 with even pressure around the entire perimeter of theniche 300. Any excess adhesive that flowed out from under the exteriorlip 10 should be wiped clean very soon after securing niche to the wall.An appropriate amount of time should be allocated after installing theniche 300 to allow for the adhesive 360 to cure. This can vary by typeof adhesive 360, however preferably one hour should be allocated forcuring time of the adhesive 360.

[0052]FIG. 4 is a flow chart summary of the steps taken to install theniche into a wall in a home or office. Each of the installation stepshas been covered in detail above: locate studs 410; level the templateinto position 420; temporarily secure the template to the wall and tracethe template 430; remove the template and cut along the tracing madewith the template 440; apply adhesive 450; place niche into preparedhole 460; let adhesive cure prior to displaying object(s) 470.

[0053] As mentioned above, either the insert FIG. 3:320 or the materialof the cutout area FIG. 3:325 can be used as a template featured insteps 420 and 430. Preferably, the insert 320 is traced along the insideperimeter of the cutout area 325. The insert 320 is chosen as itprovides a better visualization for making the template level 420.Alternatively, the exterior perimeter of the material of the cutout area325 can also be used as a tracing template. A choice of either templateprovides an additional measure of convenience to the installer, andtherefore both options are provided in the preferred embodiment.

[0054] These options are made available from the packaging material,creating a multiple utilization of the packaging materials includingcontaining niche and installation materials for shipment, securing theembodiment during shipping, creating a paint overspray barrier, andusage as an installation template. Furthermore, the packaging materialwas chosen in part such that it can be recycled after use, as well asbeing created from recycled materials.

[0055] For safety reasons, power supply to room outlets and switchesshould be turned off prior to cutting the hole in the wall for the niche440. The power can be restored after it is verified that no power lineswithin the wall were compromised during the installation, the niche isalready installed, and the curing step is taking place 470.

[0056] Painting of the niche, if desired, can be done either preferablyprior to installation, or after installation, and is therefore notlisted in the summary of FIG. 4. The advantage of painting prior toinstallation is if a color for the niche is chosen other that the wallcolor, less care is necessary to paint the niche, as the wall cannot beaccidentally painted by overspray/overbrush. This of course is not aconcern if the niche is to be painted the color of the wall.

[0057] The many features and advantages of the invention are apparentfrom the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by theappended claims to cover all such features and advantages of theinvention which fall within the true spirits and scope of the invention.Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occurto those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation illustrated and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A niche apparatus comprised of a monolithicdesign; said monolithic design including an exterior lip, a recessedinterior display area, and a mantle; composed of plastic; said plasticis shaped into said monolithic design through a mold forming process. 2.The niche apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said monolithicdesign exterior lip is two to three inches in width.
 3. The nicheapparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said monolithic designexterior lip has at least one dimple molded into the backside of saidexterior lip.
 4. The niche apparatus as described in claim 1 whereinsaid monolithic design interior display area has a depth of three tothree and one-half inches.
 5. The niche apparatus as described in claim1 wherein said monolithic design interior display area is no more thantwenty-four inches in width.
 6. The niche apparatus as described inclaim 1 wherein said plastic is composed of polystyrene.
 7. The nicheapparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said plastic is composed ofacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.
 8. The niche apparatus as described inclaim 1 wherein said mold forming process comprises a vacuum formingmethod to create said monolithic design.
 9. The niche apparatus asdescribed in claim 1 wherein said mold forming process comprises apressure forming method to create said monolithic design.
 10. The nicheapparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said mold forming processcomprises plastic injection to create said monolithic design.
 11. Theniche apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said mantle includes acornice under said mantle.
 12. A method for installing a nichecomprising the steps of locating studs within a wall; placing a nichetemplate upon the wall surface; verifying the template is positionedlevel with the horizon and essentially parallel with the wall studs;securing the niche template upon the wall; tracing the edge of thetemplate; cutting a hole in the wall along line created by the templatetracing; applying an adhesive to appropriate contact areas of the nichewith the wall; pressing the niche into the hole cut into the wall suchthat said adhesive makes proper contact with the wall; and waiting anappropriate amount of time required for said adhesive to cure therebyfirmly securing the niche into the wall.
 13. The method for installing aniche as described in claim 12 wherein said step of locating studswithin a wall comprises utilization of a capacitive stud finder movedacross the wall surface.
 14. The method for installing a niche asdescribed in claim 12 wherein said step of locating studs within a wallcomprises utilization of a magentic stud finder moved across the wallsurface.
 15. The method for installing a niche as described in claim 12wherein said step of securing the niche template upon the wall surfacecomprises application of at least one of double-sided adhesive tape andtacks to the template surface and the wall.
 16. The method forinstalling a niche as described in claim 12 wherein said step ofverifying said template position comprises utilization of a level placedat an edge of the template.
 17. The method for installing a niche asdescribed in claim 12 wherein said step of tracing the edge of saidtemplate comprises utilization of a writing instrument that leaves alegible mark on the wall.
 18. The method for installing a niche asdescribed in claim 12 wherein said step of cutting a hole in said wallcomprises utilization of a handheld drywall saw to cut the traced areaout of the wall.
 19. The method for installing a niche as described inclaim 12 wherein said step of applying an adhesive comprises applying abead of adhesive from an adhesive container onto an appropriate surfaceof the niche that makes contact with the wall surface.
 20. The methodfor installing a niche as described in claim 12 wherein said step ofpressing said niche into the cut hole in the wall comprises placing byhand the niche sufficiently into the cut hole and applying essentiallyeven hand pressure onto the niche outer surface such that the adhesivemakes firm contact with the wall surface.
 21. The method for installinga niche as described in claim 12 wherein elapsed time to complete allsaid steps is accomplished in under seven minutes.
 22. A system forinstalling a niche into a wall comprising the steps of a means fordetermining a desired position for said niche to be located in the wallwithout impinging on internal studs of the wall; a means for tracing theoutline of said niche onto the wall; a means for cutting out traced areaon the wall; a means for securing said niche into cut-out area of thewall; and all of said means contained within a single package means. 23.The system of claim 22 wherein the means for determining the desiredposition for the niche without impinging on the internal studs of saidwall comprises a portable sensor working on a principal of changingcapacitance for determining stud locations within the wall.
 24. Thesystem of claim 22 wherein the means for determining the desiredposition for the niche without impinging on the internal studs of saidwall comprises a portable sensor working on a principal of magnetism fordetermining stud locations within the wall.
 25. The system of claim 22wherein the means for tracing the outline of the niche onto the wallfurther comprises: a portion of the package material, whose outline formis consistent with the form of the niche, used as a template; a meansfor securing the template to the wall; and a means for tracing theperimeter of the template onto the wall.
 26. The system of claim 22wherein the means for cutting out traced area of the wall comprises adrywall saw.
 27. The system of claim 22 wherein the means for securingsaid niche into the wall comprises an acrylic caulk.
 28. The system ofclaim 22 wherein the means for securing said niche into the wallcomprises a polyseam sealant.
 29. The system of claim 22 wherein saidpackage means further comprises: corrugated cardboard shaped into a boxform suitable for shipping said system; a corrugated cardboard insertinto said box form possessing a cut-out void within said insert used tosecure the niche into insert void area, and secure said niche into thebox form such that the niche is immobilized within the box form; and thecut-out structure of the insert is used for immobilizing within the boxform the means for determining desired position for niche, the means fortracing, the means for cutting, and the means for securing the nicheinto the wall.